Kansas freshman Harli Ridling (30) is congratulated by teammates after scoring on a bases loaded walk during Kansas' game against Iowa State, Friday at Arrocha Ballpark. The Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones, 8-3. The two teams will continue their series tomorrow, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

Kansas junior Chanin Naudin, left, throws out Iowa State's Grittany Gomez during their game, Friday at Arrocha Ballpark. The Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones, 8-3. The two teams will continue their series tomorrow, with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

The best offense for Kansas University’s softball team was its pitching and defense.

After the Jayhawks cut a three-run deficit to one, Iowa State was on the verge of adding a run before freshman Lily Behrmann and sophomore Chaley Brickey combined on a relay to throw a runner out at the plate.

After the run-saving play, junior right-hander Alicia Pille struck out the next batter to end the frame, and the Jayhawks scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning in an eventual 8-3 victory Friday at Arrocha Ballpark.

Six of the first seven batters in the bottom of the third inning reached base, and the Jayhawks had RBI hits from senior Taylor Hatfield and freshmen Taylor Dodson and Taylor McElhaney. Behrmann also added a sacrifice fly.

KU starter Kelsey Kessler gave up two runs in the first inning before Pille took the circle in the second and gave up just one run on seven hits in six innings.

“We got off to a sluggish start, and I felt like Pille did a great job of coming in and setting a new tone for us,” KU coach Megan Smith said. “Our offense responded and fought and scraped together some runs.”

Junior Chanin Naudin lined a solo home run over the left-field wall in the fourth inning, her fifth of the season. In the fifth, Behrmann got her arms extended and drilled her first career home run to the deepest part of center field.

“It felt really good off my bat, so I had a feeling that it would possibly go out, but I didn’t expect it to actually go over,” said Behrmann, who did a fist pump as she rounded first base. “It was really exciting. I’ve been working a lot in practice, and all my teammates, I know, believed in me, but it felt really good to actually do it for real.”

KU (31-21, 5-11 Big 12) scored two runs in the second inning on a bases-loaded walk and an RBI single from Ashley Newman.

The Jayhawks’ defense, which entered the weekend ranked fourth in the nation in fielding percentage, thwarted every opportunity for the Cyclones in the late innings. Naudin caught a few line drives at third base and started an inning-ending double play in the fifth, KU’s fifth double play of the year.

Iowa State (23-29, 2-14) stranded 10 runners.

“I think any time you can stop them from scoring on a big play, that gives us some life and brings life into us and gives us some confidence,” Smith said. “You certainly saw that. The way Pille came out and set that tone and some good defensive plays, it allowed our offense to get a little more confident.”

The Jayhawks will continue their three-game series and honor their four seniors at 2 p.m. today.

Iowa State 210 000 0 — 3 10 1

Kansas 024 110 x — 8 11 0

W — Alicia Pille, 11-6. L — Katie Johnson, 18-18.

2B — Brittany Gomez, Aly Cappaert, Sara Rice, ISU; Maddie Stein, Taylor Hatfield, KU. HR — Chanin Naudin, Lily Behrmann, KU.

KU highlights — Pille, 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 1 K; Hatfield, 2-for-3, 2 runs, RBI; Taylor Dodson, 2-for-3, R, RBI; Taylor McElhaney, 1-for-2, 2 RBI.